


concussed

by Thealmostrhetoricalquestion



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: First Dates, First Kiss, Fluff, Hospital Date, Hospitals, Idiots in Love, James vs Fire Escape, M/M, Minor Injuries, One Shot, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2019-01-10 20:17:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12306936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thealmostrhetoricalquestion/pseuds/Thealmostrhetoricalquestion
Summary: “Nice outfit.”“It’s all the rage around here,” James drawls, gesturing at his hospital gown with most of his usual flourish. “You wouldn’t believe how many people in the next ward have copied me.”“You’re a regular trendsetter,” Teddy agrees fondly.





	concussed

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Some Jeddy because I felt like taking a break from other pairings, and I love these two. Just some light fluff. I hope you enjoy it!

James scratches the back of his head, wincing as the movement pulls at the large gash in his arm. He’s bandaged up and no longer bleeding, but St Mungo’s is busy tonight, so he’s still waiting on a Healer to fix him up properly. It doesn’t help that he has a head wound, and magic has never been that good with head wounds. 

He explains all of this in short terms to the glowing Patronus at the end of his hospital bed. The hummingbird dips its beak, flits around the bed covers for a moment, and then disappears. James knows it’s headed for Teddy, who’s probably standing in the cold, thinking James stood him up. 

James snorts. Like he would ever stand Teddy up. He’s been trying for at least three years to get a date with Teddy, ever since he left Hogwarts, ever since he turned seventeen and realised there might actually be a chance there. There’s no way he’d blow it on _purpose_ on the first date. 

A silver wolf lopes into the room, leaping on silent paws onto the end of James’ bed. James blinks a little blearily; it’s possible that he has a concussion, on top of everything else, but that’s definitely Teddy’s Patronus. 

“Jamie, you idiot. I’ll be there in a minute.” 

The wolf dissipates, and James is left staring at thin air. He taps his fingers against his leg, feeling the itch of cheap cotton against his fingertips. The hospital gown is stiff and scratchy, not to mention slightly humiliating, given that it opens wide at the back. At least he was allowed to keep his boxers on. 

He knows he shouldn’t, and he knows it’s stupid, but he’s never been good at sitting still, so after a few minutes of doing nothing, he eases himself out of bed and starts pacing. Slowly, but still pacing. The motion makes his head spin a little, but he keeps moving, going over what the date would have been like in his head. There’s no way it’s going to happen now that he’s ruined it, but he can dream. 

“Oh, Jamie.” 

James almost slips when he turns to find Teddy standing in the doorway, hands in his pockets as he eyes James critically, looking for bumps and bruises. There’s plenty to choose from. 

“Picked a fight with a fire escape, trying to run to the apparition point. Luckily, the hospital was close, and I didn’t break any limbs, just a few minor appendages, so I walked here.” 

Teddy arches an eyebrow. “A few minor appendages, eh?” 

James leans back against the wall. “Get your mind out of the gutter. I was talking about these.” He wiggles his fingers, which are no longer broken, but still ache a bit. Teddy stalks further into the room and then stops, taking in James’ attire with a sly curve to his mouth. 

“Nice outfit.”

“It’s all the rage around here,” James drawls, gesturing at his hospital gown with most of his usual flourish. “You wouldn’t believe how many people in the next ward have copied me.”

“You’re a regular trendsetter,” Teddy agrees fondly. “Come on then, give us a twirl.” 

James spreads his hands and spins in a slow circle, and it’s not until he’s facing the wall that he suddenly feels hands on him, lifting him up and carrying him across the room. James squawks, flailing an elbow around and catching Teddy in the gut. Teddy grunts, dumping James none-too-gently on the bed, and then sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“That was going to be romantic and sweet, like carrying you over the threshold. Instead I get my ability to breathe removed.” He rubs his stomach dramatically, staring at James ruefully. 

“I’ve been told I’m pretty breath-taking.” James shoots him a cheeky grin. He even throws in a wink, for good measure. 

Teddy mutters something unflattering and manhandles James into the bed, pulling the covers up over his legs and tucking him like some kind of toddler. 

“So, what are you doing here, anyway?” James asks, fiddling with the bedsheet. Teddy stops smoothing out the covers in favour of openly staring at James, like he’s said the most stupid thing on the planet. James squints at him. “What?”

“You’re actually asking me that,” Teddy says. “You’re actually asking me why I’m here to see you, in hospital, when you look like you’ve gone ten rounds with a Death Eater with just your fists and a blindfold on.”

“I don’t look that bad,” James protests. “I’ve had way worse.”

And he has. Quidditch isn’t exactly an easy sport, and in between accidents at work, and all the testing Freddie’s done on him for the new Wheezes’ products, James has definitely been through the mill a few times. Granted, Teddy always came to see him those times, too, but this is pretty minor, all things considering. It’s just the concussion he’s worried about. 

“I don’t care if all you had was a cold, Jamie, I’d still come and see you.” Teddy settles on the bed beside him and lays a hand on his ankle, squeezing gently. 

This brings James up short, and he snaps his mouth shut. “Oh. Right. Well, you know, ditto.”

Teddy snorts, which is unfairly still attractive, even though by all rights it shouldn’t be. James takes a moment to look at him, a little dazed. His hair is silver today, with streaks of violet at the tips, and he’s wearing a shirt, of all things. Like a fancy shirt, the kind that looks like it should have come with a tie and a waistcoat. Mmm, a waistcoat. 

“Good to know it’s mutual then,” Teddy says. “I’d be pretty devastated if I caught a cold at the start of our next date, and you never bothered to show.” 

He’s joking, James knows, but he still ends up blurting out, “ _Next_ date?”

Teddy pauses, frowning. “Well, yeah. I know this isn’t really much of a date, seeing as it’s in a hospital, but I figured I’d still walk you home at the end of it. Plus, it’ll definitely be a story to tell everyone.”

James gapes at him. 

“Don’t worry,” Teddy teases him. “I’ll romance you properly on the next one.”

“You still want to date me?” James demands. 

Teddy’s face does something complicated, and his hand leaves James’ ankle and drifts over to lift his chin, peering into his eyes in a concerned fashion. 

“How hard did you hit your head?” 

“Pretty hard,” James admits, shrugging. “I figured you wouldn’t want a date after this, since I ruined the first one by not even showing up to it.” 

“Uh-huh,” Teddy says, plainly unconvinced. “You know, for someone so cocky, you have really low self-esteem sometimes.”

James swats at him, grumbling. “I was just worried about it, that’s all. I’m pretty sure I remember thinking _fuck, Teddy’s never gonna want to date me_ as I tripped, and I’m only admitting that because of the concussion.”

“So, let me get this straight,” Teddy says. “You fell down three flights of a fire escape, bruised pretty much every part of your body, broke several fingers, cut yourself and smacked your head hard enough to give yourself a concussion, and yet your first worry was whether I’d still want to go on a date with you, is that clear?”

James pretends to think about it for a moment, ignoring the way his cheeks burn red. “Yeah, sounds about right.”

Teddy grins, a slow, pleased thing. “Well, consider me flattered.” 

James huffs a laugh and bats his hand away. “You’re an arse, you know that? And this is a shit date, just so you know. No flowers, no candles, no fireworks. You didn’t even bring me chocolate.”

“With the state you’re in, you’d probably just throw it back up again,” Teddy says, poking him in the side. James hisses, clutching dramatically at the bruise beneath his gown, and   
Teddy grows concerned. 

“Have you seen the Healer yet?” 

“Well, they fixed all the broken bits, but they haven’t sealed this bugger up yet." He gestures to his bandages arm. "And they said they’d give me something for the bruises.” 

“Are they keeping you in overnight?” Teddy shifts on the bed, finding James’ uninjured hand and tangling their fingers together. James has no idea how he does it so casually – they’re both pretty cocky bastards, but right now James feels the farthest thing from smooth. It has to be the concussion. 

“No idea,” James says, a little thickly. Teddy smirks like he can read his mind, and James is seized with the urge to either throttle him with the IV cord or kiss his stupid face.

“I think if you’re in a proper bed, then you’re probably in for the night. Want me to floo Harry and Ginny?”

James groans, dropping back against the cushions. “Tell them to bring me a better pillow, if they’re coming in, which I know they’ll insist on doing. That’s if dad’s not still at work.”

“It’s late, but he might be,” Teddy says. “You know he’ll come in anyway. Let me go and floo them, and I’ll see if I can find a Healer on the way out. Maybe some flowers, too, if you’re good.” 

James grunts, shifting around to try and find a comfortable spot. 

“Don’t go to sleep,” Teddy warns him. “Not until you’ve seen the Healer.”

“Give me something worth staying awake for then,” James says, smirking slightly. The effect is probably slightly ruined by the bruises on his face, not to mention the cut on his temple, but it’s the best he’s got.

Teddy just arches an eyebrow, his hair turning bright blue for the briefest moment, and James pouts at him. 

“You’re such a brat,” Teddy mutters fondly, and then he leans in.

James sucks in a breath as Teddy kisses him. It’s a playful, teasing kiss at first, slow, with just a hint of tongue. Then it turns softer, more welcoming, and James loses himself a little bit, eyes drifting shut as his hands come up to play with the short hairs at the nape of Teddy’s neck. It feels like Teddy’s way of saying, I’m glad you’re safe, and it makes his heartbeat stutter. 

When Teddy draws back, just a few inches away, James lets his eyes drift open, and – and claps a hand over his mouth, muffling a laugh. 

“What?” 

“Your eyebrows are bright red,” James says, snickering to himself. “And really bushy. Merlin, does that happen every time you kiss someone?”

“Not every time,” Teddy grumbles. “I’ve changed my mind about dating you.”

James cracks up, reaching out to poke one of Teddy’s eyebrows curiously. “I’m special, then. Good to know.”

Teddy leans in and kisses him again, quick, presumably to shut him up, but more likely because he just can’t get enough of James. James grins into the kiss, and then Teddy’s up and moving, pausing at the door. 

“Don’t go to sleep, I’m serious. I’ll go and get the Healer.”

“Tell them I’m ready for my sponge-bath,” James says, nodding solemnly, and Teddy finally laughs properly, his expression fond. 

“Idiot. I’ll be right back.”

“Don’t forget my flowers.”

“I won’t. Oh, and Jamie?”

James looks at him, quirks an eyebrow. 

Teddy smiles warmly, his hair cycling through a flurry of colours. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

He’s gone before James can say anything in return, leaving him to grin goofily at the empty doorway. He tucks his hands behind his head, settles back, and waits for Teddy to come back.

Life is good, and he’s pretty sure it’s not the concussion talking.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you! Please leave a comment/kudos if you enjoyed it, I'd really appreciate it. Let me know what you thought! And come say hey @thealmostrhetoricalquestion on tumblr :) Thanks!


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